Kick It Out and Paul Canoville Foundation launch education partnership
New eLearning programme developed with University of Westminster brings Paul Canoville's inspiring story into classrooms across the UK.
The Paul Canoville Foundation is proud to announce a new education partnership with Kick It Out, launching an innovative six-week eLearning programme that explores the themes of allyship, belonging and community through the remarkable story of Paul Canoville, Chelsea Football Club's first Black player.
Developed in collaboration with the University of Westminster's Centre for Education and Training Innovation (CETI), the programme features Paul Canoville alongside Marie Gentles OBE and former Chelsea player Pat Nevin, bringing together powerful personal experiences with expert academic insight to create meaningful learning opportunities for young people.
The comprehensive programme is designed specifically for teachers and school leaders working with Key Stage 3 and 4 students, aligning directly with national curriculum requirements across Citizenship, PSHE, History, and English. Each week builds on powerful themes that resonate with today's learners, from understanding the Windrush Generation's role in multicultural Britain to examining contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter through Paul's personal lens.
"We're incredibly excited to partner with Kick It Out to bring Paul's story directly into classrooms," said Raphael Frascogna, CEO of The Paul Canoville Foundation. "This programme represents everything our Foundation stands for - using Paul's experiences to educate, inspire and empower young people to become agents of positive change in their communities. Through our values of allyship, belonging and community, we're giving students the tools to understand their role in building a more inclusive society."
Kick It Out COO Hollie Varney added: "This partnership represents exactly what we're working towards - using real stories and authentic voices to educate young people about inclusion and equality. Paul's journey as a trailblazer in football provides an incredibly powerful framework for helping students understand their own role in building inclusive communities."
The programme goes beyond traditional classroom learning, incorporating project-based activities that encourage students to develop their own community initiatives. Through interactive discussions and real-world applications, students engage with historical and contemporary movements that have shaped modern Britain, culminating in presentations where they share their own projects focused on allyship, belonging and community.
Paul Canoville's story offers unique insights into resilience, determination, and positive change. As Chelsea's first Black player in the 1980s, he faced significant challenges but became a symbol of progress in football. His experiences provide students with a compelling narrative that connects historical context with contemporary issues of inclusion and social justice.
The University of Westminster's involvement ensures the programme meets the highest academic standards while remaining accessible and engaging for educators. The collaboration with CETI brings research-backed pedagogical approaches that support effective learning outcomes and practical classroom implementation.
"Education has always been at the heart of our Foundation's mission," explained Paul Canoville. "By partnering with Kick It Out and the University of Westminster, we're ensuring that my story reaches young people in a way that's both educational and transformational. When students understand the challenges I faced and how communities can support each other, they're empowered to make a positive difference in their own lives and communities."
The programme includes comprehensive teacher resources, lesson plans, accompanying videos, and assessment tools, all accessible through The Academy platform. Schools can easily integrate the content into existing curriculum delivery, with clear alignment to SMSC development requirements and cross-curricular links to subjects including Geography, Art, and Literacy.
This partnership builds on The Paul Canoville Foundation's commitment to education-focused initiatives across Schools, Sport and Culture, and aligns with Kick It Out's broader educational mission following recent collaborations including their partnership with The FA providing online learning for over 1,700 referees focused on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
The Team Canoville ABC programme is now available for schools nationwide, offering educators a ready-to-use resource that brings together compelling storytelling, curriculum alignment, and practical tools for fostering inclusive learning environments.
For more information about accessing the programme visit our Learning web page, which links to The Academy platform where schools can enrol and begin implementing this groundbreaking educational resource.